Pas de Deux
by DailyReader1234
Summary: Imprinting usually works out, because in Myers' world the pairs meet in the same area, and are content to stay there. That is not real life. In real life people move around, with no intention of staying in one place. Conflicts between staying for love and leaving for made promises are never easy to resolve. Set about 13 years after Breaking Dawn.
1. Grand Allegro

A/N: I do not own the rights to Twilight. I do not wish to make money from this story. This is just a fun "What if."

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**Grand allegro** - A combination of large jumps that has the dancer travel across the entire studio or stage - or, in this case, a country.

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My leg was cramped from sitting so long on the plane. Even the extra space that flying first class gave wasn't enough for my legs to stretch to their most comfortable position, and so my knee had ached by the end of the first hour, burned by the end of the third and had gone numb by the time the plane had landed.

_At least_, I thought, _It will only be Caleb picking me up, and he knows better than to laugh at my limp_. It was not pleasant walking down the length of the terminal with my knee forcing my leg to move in unnatural positions. _I just want to get my luggage, get his promised ice pack, get in his car and start this grueling four-hour trek to La Push. _

Who could have foreseen that Caleb would fracture his arm in the beginning of May, right before the start of our Spring Season? Or that I would soon follow him, the mild ache in my left knee turning into patellar tendonitis?

_Otherwise known as Jumper's knee._ I still mentally laughed at that one, thinking of the many leaps the choreographer threw in for me in _Sleeping Beauty_. The company told me to take the summer months off to heal and take whatever physical therapy I needed. They still wanted me to dance as Cinderella in the Fall, and were willing to work around what I needed to do to get well.

When I called Caleb to bemoan the stupidity of having to wear a knee brace and the hassle of trying to find the best physical therapist, not to mention how lonely I was with out him in Boston, he suggested I spend the summer with him.

Caleb had traveled back to his roots in La Push, Washington when he was told to do the same – rest and get well. The fracture had been a mistake of the company's behind stage, though they would rather have teeth pulled than admit to it. The best they could do was offer him paid time off, and a promise that he would still dance as a Principal in the fall. His mother and father lived and worked in Seattle, heard of a specialist Doctor residing in Forks, and had Caleb signed up for sessions before he could say whether or not he wanted to come home.

However, the four-hour ride one way from Seattle to Forks was absurd, so Caleb ended up living with his grandmother in La Push, and was very excited for me to come spend the rest of the summer healing with him.

_That doctor had better be worth all the pain my knee is going to be in, by the time we finally reach Caleb's home._ I grimaced, as I hobbled forward to grab my first bag from the belt. But where was Caleb? I kept one eye on the conveyer belt and took darting glances around with the other. By the time my second bag came out I was torn between being worried and annoyed. _Caleb knew it was today._ I thought as I limped over to where there was a larger crowd of receivers. _I spoke to him only six hours ago. He cannot have forgotten._

There, a little ways away, were two young men who stood at least a head and shoulder above the rest of the crowd. One of them held a sign on it that read Ms. Sophie Weaver and had a little picture of point shoes on the side. Sighing, and hoping this was some prank Caleb was playing, I shuffled towards them.

"Are you a Ms. Sophie Weaver?" The one with the sign asked.

"Guilty as charged." I admitted.

"Oh, good!" The other said. "We were worried you hadn't seen our sign and walked out. We're friends of Caleb. I'm Quil," he shook my hand and I almost jumped at how hot his hand felt.

"And I'm Jacob," the one with the sign added, also giving me an abnormally hot handshake. Those names rang a bell. I was sure Caleb had mentioned them before while talking about the friends he made, but I couldn't remember much about them. "Caleb says that there is a message on your phone that explains everything, but he was stuck between having strangers pick you up and having a surprise for you when you get to his house, and the surprise won."

"That would be Caleb." I shook my head, not surprised. "What ever he's planning had better be good. Not that I mind being picked up by you!" I hastily added incase they took offence. "I was just looking forward to seeing him."

"Understandable." Jacob said smoothly. "If you're all set we could head out and make it to La Push by dinner. Are you hungry?"

"A little," I admitted. "I also will need an ice pack – did Caleb send you with one?"

"He did, actually." Quil said. "It's in a cooler in Jacob's car along with some of your favorite foods I understand."

"Then I will gladly follow you anywhere." I replied fervently.

They were really nice about my limp. Quil took control of the bags and my backpack, and Jacob actually gave me his arm after watching me limp became too painful for him to bear. While I held on, I listened to Caleb's voice message about how he promised to make it up to me. The excitement in his voice made me believe that it might be worth it to be in the car with strangers for four hours so that he could get his project done.

That was until I saw the car Jacob drove. Although I had nothing against small cars, I had been dreaming of Caleb's granny's van to stretch out in.

Jacob saw the look on my face and assured me it was bigger on the inside than it looked.

"Unless there is an extra dimension in your car, I rather doubt it." I sighed. "No, I'll take the back," I told Quil who was opening the backdoor to get in.

"Are you sure?" He asked confused.

"Yes. Because then I can stretch my leg over the seat at least."

Quil graciously moved the cooler to the front of the car, and Jacob helped me get settled in the back. "Just don't kill me." I told him as I buckled and then turned my body so the seat belt would cause more damage than help if we were stopped fast.

"I promise not to." Jacob responded somberly, and as he started the car Quil handed me an ice pack, which I gratefully took.

The car ride was long, but I enjoyed listening to Jacob – or Jake as he told me to call him – and Quil share stories of growing up in La Push. From what I could understand both of them were dating girls from the area, Quil's was about to graduate high school and Jacob was unspecific about his girl's age. They both had jobs in the area, Jacob was a well-known mechanic and Quil worked for a data entry company at his house. They also sounded like they were part time policemen, for La Push and the surrounding areas.

Soon I found myself telling them all about how Caleb and I met, which they seemed to know from Caleb's side. We were thrown together in the University of Michigan's orientation program, being the only two dancers who were also going for literary degrees. There we had become unofficial dance partners, as we had similar work ethics. Then we bonded one late night when the crazy family stories came out and to our amazement we both had great-grandparents who came from La Push. While my family had moved away from the area, Caleb's had stayed for another couple generations, but the common ancestral haunting ground was enough for us to declare blood relation.

The result was an indulgent tolerance from our classmates, and wonderful awkward moments from professors until they realized our joke. Jake and Quil laughed as I explained the utter lack of family resemblance, and the willingness to dance intimately made the faculty uncertain about our relationship.

"It was horrible to do," I sighed. "But so much fun when it lasted. Then I was signed for a ballet company in California, and Caleb went to Boston. A year later, I happened to audition for Boston and I was admitted. Since then, we've been fortunate enough to dance at least once a season with each other. I've progressed faster than Caleb, which confuses me because he is just as good."

"According to him, you are the truly amazing dancer." Quil pointed out.

"I think it is because he does not put him self out enough. I am bolder than he is, but then I have been working at this longer and if my knee doesn't completely recover, I might be done with dance sooner. Dr. Cullen has worked a miracle for Caleb's arm, or so says Caleb. I'm hoping he'll be able to conjure up another for my knee."

"Dr. Cullen's great." Quil reassured. "He's a super doctor – he fixed Jake's ribs years ago when it looked like they wouldn't heal correctly, and since then he's been helping out with both Forks and La Push. Mostly he just takes specialty cases now."

"I was lucky to get him." I admitted. "Being a known ballerina has some perks. He and his wife apparently came and saw our production of _Carmen_. I guess they were interested to see the new adaptation, and were able to fly out to Boston for it." I shoot my head at the extravagance of wealthy Doctors. "Apparently we even spoke briefly after the performance, but for the life of me I cannot remember either of them. Caleb said they recognized him instantly too and asked about me before I called." I sighed. "Tendonitis isn't a life threatening injury, it's just concerning that I have it so intensely so early in my career. But I suppose, even if I were to stop now, I've had a good run of it, and I have no intention of letting this beat me yet."

"How long do dancers dance for?" Jake asked. "Do you want to look at Forks or head straight to La Push?" He added.

"Honestly, as nice as your car is, I would rather be in a place where I can stretch and not be in pain anymore. I'll see Forks later." I shifted a little; my ice pack had long since become useless. "Dancers – ballet dancers – usually last until their early to late thirties until our bodies give up on us. If you're dancing ballet when you're forty you are remarkably lucky. Personally, I'd like to dance for another four years, maybe five and then settle down and have a family. I'd still dance a little, but I'd love to teach it, and possibly put my B.A. in English Lit to good use. The trick is going to be getting my company to let me go – they don't like to let go of good dancers. They would rather run us like horses until we can't dance anymore. I'd rather have a family before I'm forty, so I can see some potential disagreements between us in the future. Maybe this injury will help me to get out when I want to."

"You seem very optimistic," Quil said.

"You've caught me on a good day," I laughed. "Ask me again tomorrow and I'll probably wail and rage about my knee taking me away from the one thing that I have loved and worked for during the past twenty-one years of my life. But I always knew it would come to an end, especially because I refuse to be one of those ballerina moms who's never around for her kids." Through the trees I could glimpse patches of blue, and then the entire left side opened up to show the ocean. "Oh, wow." I gasped. "That's a view."

"It never gets old," Quil smiled.

"I would imagine not!" I exclaimed. Too soon the ocean disappeared behind the trees, but I was reassured that I would see it again soon.

We pulled up to a small brown house that had surprising number of people playing games, and eating food around it. "Shoot." Jake muttered. "I forgot to tell you about the welcoming committee." The people stopped what they were doing when Jake's car pulled up, and one ran inside.

"The welcoming committee?" I asked, confused.

Quil nodded. "Caleb thought you'd like to meet some of the people he's been talking about, so Kim and Claire pulled together a small welcoming party. We were supposed to tell you, but we forgot."

"A _small_ welcoming party?" I repeated looking at the group that was gathered. "Is every guy in La Push a giant?"

Jake laughed. "Hardly." He looked back at me as two girls approached the car. "Shall we?" He asked.

"Sure," I swung my leg over and unbuckled. "I can show off my limp in front of strangers just as easily as I can by myself."

Quil laughed and got out of the car. He walked over to one of the girls and gave her a kiss. The girl laughed and swatted at him. Jake had come over to my side of the car and helped me out, and I gingerly tested my weight.

"Kim, Claire, come meet Sophie." Jake invited, politely giving me time to adjust my balance. The two girls came up and welcomed me with hugs. Claire was the one who Quil kissed, and Kim beckoned over to another boy who introduced himself as Jared. This seemed to be the cue for the rest of the party to come over. The number of names and hot handshakes I was given were overwhelming. After a few names I gave up trying to remember everyone, and hoped that Caleb would help me with them later on.

Finally when I started to feel a little too overwhelmed, a familiar voice called out, "I asked you to welcome her, not smother her." There on the porch was Caleb, and a girl and boy. The crowd that had formed around me dissipated, and I walked as quickly as I could to give Caleb a hug. But that was not enough to show his joy of having me here, so he lifted me up and spun me. Laughing I begged to be put down, and at last he did. "I am so sorry I wasn't there to pick you up." He said earnestly.

"Ah, well, this surprise had better be worth it." I replied.

"Oh, trust me it is." He promised and laughed. "Come inside and see."

"My bags," I remembered, and turned to see Jake with my backpack and two bags, and Quil with the cooler. "Your limo service is amazing." I told him in a stage whisper. "I think I prefer them to you – especially since you would make me carry my own bags."

"Not with your limp," He replied gently, watching me wince up the stairs. "How bad is it?"

"Well, I've been sitting for about nine hours today, so not great." I said, making it to the top of the porch. "I'm sure it will loosen up soon. As soon as I eat I'll be able to take more pain meds." As if my words magically summoned it, the smell of hamburgers on the grill wafted over.

"The guys are really good at cookouts," Caleb explained, interpreting my look. "This is Brady, and this is Leah," He introduced the people who came out on the porch with him.

"_Your _Leah?" I asked him sharply, and when she blushed and he nodded, I pulled her in for a hug. "I'm sorry," I told her as I felt her stiffen. "I've heard so much about you – all good things – that I feel like I already know you. Caleb has gone on and on about how wonderful and beautiful you are, and I was hoping he exaggerated, but unfortunately for me it looks like he was spot on."

"He's told me a lot about you too." She said, but relaxed marginally and gave me a smile. She too was burning up. I vaguely wondered if Caleb was aware that everyone here seemed to have a fever, but chose not to say anything and instead turned to great Brady.

Brady shook my hand, greeting me warmly, before he opened the door and helped me up the last few steps. "Thank you," I smiled, causing him to blush and look away. I looked back at Caleb for directions.

"Your room is on the split level. Granny insisted you take the best guest room, so reassigned me to the top floor." Caleb sighed.

"She also wanted to give the girl with the leg injury the fewest stairs to climb," Leah mercilessly pointed out.

"I suppose," Caleb sighed again dramatically, and he, Leah, Jake and Quil followed me inside. Brady muttered about wanting to go check on the hamburgers closed the door behind us.

I loved my room. It was beautiful, with the wooden beams across the ceiling and bright blue paint on the walls. My view faced the forest, and my window was just a little ways up from the ground. "You can see more from the upper windows," Caleb explained, a little embarrassed. "But with your leg and all we thought-"

"I love it." I cut him off. "This is a truly magical place. I'll have to thank your Granny, since I'm sure you didn't pick out the matching curtains and bed spread. Is she here?"

Caleb shook his head. "She's in Seattle this week visiting my parents. She'll be back Sunday, and is looking forward to meeting you."

"I'll have to prepare supper for her that night at least to show my thanks," I thought out loud.

Caleb laughed. "You don't have to cook, even if you are much better at it than I. Come on – let me show you the surprise. It's in the basement." Still followed by Jake and Quil, who declared they wanted to see the finished product and my reaction to it, Caleb gently helped me down the stairs. When we reached the bottom, Caleb put his hands over my eyes, I heard some one open a door, and Caleb guided me through. He led me into an open space and then took his hands off my eyes.

I gasped and almost started crying. I couldn't believe it. The setting sun shown through open windows on my left, and on my right was more of the same. In front of me were big full wall mirrors, and in their reflection I saw two mobile barres and a sound system.

"Everything was installed today and yesterday," Caleb was explaining. "Everyone helped out, but Embry did a lot of the work on the floor and for the barres to make them smooth."

I looked down at the wood floor and kicked off my shoes to feel its smoothness through my socks.

"It's beautiful," I pirouetted to my right, away from Caleb, ignoring the sting in my left knee as I pushed off. The one thing that had me so concerned about coming to stay with Caleb was how he had no space to really practice. I lost sleep with worry about where I would do my exercises and start to learn the routines I needed to know.

"The sun will rise through those windows," Caleb pointed to the wall on the right.

I stopped spinning and smiled. "We can do our warm ups in here."

"I'm working on us being able to use the Port Angeles ballet studio when we really need to practice, but for what we need now this should be fine. Is the surprise worth it?" He asked anxiously.

"Maybe," I replied mischievously. "There's just one test to make." I went en point, my right leg supporting almost all of my body weight and my left just keeping me balanced. To my delight Caleb came up and led me through a promenade and into a couple of pirouettes. I laughed when he lifted me up over his head, and I moved into a poisson. He felt the shift and slowly walked me around in a circle. I felt him shift and I dropped into a fish dive, safely in his arms, where we stayed for a second before we became aware of the applause. Leah, Jacob, Quil, Claire and yet another tall man were standing in the doorway watching us.

"That was beautiful!" Claire exclaimed.

"I'm just glad that the ceiling isn't a few inches lower, and that my partner isn't a few inches taller," I said ruefully. "Otherwise you wouldn't have been able to toss me the little that you did."

"I'm glad that my arms are getting back to their strength. I felt your body tense while in the lift and I assumed your knee was hurting." Caleb added.

"It was, but it was worth it to be lifted by you again!" I replied, hugging Caleb. He helped me walk over to the group as I explained. "The guy they pared me with in Caleb's absence was…"

"Abysmal?" Caleb suggested.

"I was going to say full of himself, but that works too." I looked around the room as the light faded. "I love this gift Caleb. Thank you so much."

"Don't thank me – you should thank Embry." He stopped in front the one whose name I didn't know. "He did most of the work."

"Well then," I took Embry's hand, and his eyes drifted, embarrassed, to the floor. "Thank you Embry. This is beyond anything I could have dreamed."

He opened his mouth to speak, and then he looked directly into my eyes. His jaw dropped.

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A/N: For awhile I've thought a lot about the "Imprinting" situation from Twilight. Stephanie Myers has really weird ideas about love, to my mind, and Imprinting is certainly up there. It seems that most imprinting goes with out a hitch - it's like Disney love at first sight, except stronger. While we can imagine some drama, the guy gets the girl with out a hitch at the end. I wanted to play around with that, and to see what would happen if an Imprintee was some one who had an established career, was incredibly dedicated to that career, and lived on the other side of the country. With in these parameters, there are no easy decisions.

I will be posting once a month, on the first of every month, at least.

Please let me know what you think so far. Thanks for reading!


	2. a Terre

A/N: I do not own Twilight, not do I want to make money from this story. This is just for fun!

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_a __terre: _ On the ground.

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"Oh Shit!" Jake exclaimed, and Embry's hand tightened slightly around mine, though his eyes never left my face. Suddenly Quil and Jake grabbed Embry and forced him to let go of my hand. When he lost contact, Embry started shaking, causing Jake and Quil to grab on to him even tighter. Before I knew what was happening, Leah had pulled Claire over to where Caleb and I stood, and positioned herself slightly in front of us.

"Don't you dare." Quil hissed. "Not in front of Claire."

"Or Caleb." Leah added, crouching slightly.

"Or Sophie." Jake gripped Embry harder. "Let's go talk, and you can meet Sophie later." It was not a suggestion as they half dragged Embry out of the small studio. When we heard the door slam, Leah relaxed and took Caleb's hand, which calmed her small shakes.

"Did I say something wrong?" I asked.

"No. Not at all." Caleb replied firmly, and then looked at Leah to explain.

"Embry is… shy." She said slowly. "You startled him. But Jake will talk to him and I'm sure he'll want to be introduced to you later."

I knew instinctively that wasn't it at all, but the look on her face indicated that I wasn't going to get any other explanation out of her.

"Well," Claire said, touching my arm, and smiling as if nothing happened. "Shall we go see if the burgers are ready?"

Caleb needed no second suggestion; he gave one speaking glance at Leah and then shrugged when she shook her head. "Let's eat then! Sophie must be starving from her travels, and you must be starving from running patrols all day." He led Leah to the door, and I managed a steady, if slow, pace behind them.

"What about me?" Claire muttered behind me. "I have just as much right to be starving too."

"What did you do today?" I asked as we reached the door.

"I work up in Forks at their coffee shop. I had to take the early shift, and then some one couldn't come in so I worked until lunch. Then I came back here, helped put the finishing touches on your studio, and planned for your party. I am not only hungry, I am tired." She added with a huff.

"You should be, after all that work!" I exclaimed.

"Well, the pay is good. I want to go to college after I graduate, and even with the scholarships I plan on getting, it still is going to cost a lot of money."

"I know it." I sighed. "I would never have been able to touch the tuition if Michigan hadn't given me a very generous dance scholarship."

"They should have given you a free ride!" Claire was surprised. "You're the best dancer I've ever seen!"

I blushed. "Thank you," I said honestly touched.

"And I know dance, at least a little." Claire added as she guided me towards the food. "I've danced for about eight years in Forks, and I hope to dance a bit in college. But I've seen some of the ballet productions in Seattle – it's magical how good those dancers are, and yet I know you could do it better."

"I'm lucky that I'm good at what I love to do." I replied. "What kind of dance?" I asked.

"I love modern and tap," Claire said doing a little shuffle, which made me smile. "I was into ballet when I was younger, but those awful shoes hurt too much for me to want to stick with it."

"But it's fun to dance with them," I smiled dreamily. "There are moments when I'm sure gravity doesn't apply to me anymore and that I've never felt with any other kind of dance."

"Lucky for you," Claire laughed. "For me, that's not what I want to do with my life, so I'd rather leave my feet un-mangled."

"There is that," I agreed, and allowed her to help me with food and then a place to spread out on the lawn. I winced as I sat down and then positioned my leg to be comfortable. "What would you like to do then?" I asked.

"Well first she wanted to be a princess," Quil came and sat next to her. "Then it was a vet."

"Quil!" She screamed and pushed him.

"Then it was a fashion design. Then a vet again." Quil continued. "Then I think it was a model, which I would support as long as you didn't fall prey to any of those silly body issues."

"What is it now?" I asked Claire.

"A vet." She laughed.

"Big animals or small animals?" I had enough friends in college who were vets to know what I was talking about.

"Definitely Big." Jared spoke for her as he and Kim came and sat on my other side. "At least one would hope."

"Why's that?" I asked.

They froze for a second before Claire smoothly said, "I've grown up outside a National Forest where wolves and bears live. I don't think I could look at anything smaller with out some disappointment."

"You've seen wolves?" I was amazed. When Claire admitted she had I sighed in envy. "I would love to see them too. Seeing wild wolves must be a sight!"

"Well I don't know if I would call them wild," Kim laughed, her eyes sparkled. "But they definitely are a sight worth seeing."

A car pulled up outside the house, and out of it came a young couple, two girls and a boy. Most of the group got up to greet them, Brady had his arm around the eldest girl, and I was amazed with how intently he was listening to what she had to say. Not many twenty plus guys would listen that attentively to a girl around thirteen, but they seemed to have a special bond. Jared and Quil had gone over to greet them, so Kim leaned over to me. "That's Sam and Emily," she said in a low voice. "He used to be the leader of… I guess you'd call them forest rangers."

"Forrest protectors is more like it," Claire amended. "Jake is now in charge that Sam's retired."

"He's too young to be retired." I muttered.

Kim hesitated. "It was a demanding job, and while it had a lot of benefits the demands aren't worth it when you want to start a family – which he and Emily did. Jared's thinking of retiring soon too." She added softly.

"They now have three kids." Claire said fondly. "Alex is the oldest, he's twelve. Sarah's eleven, and Ari was a bit of a surprise. She's only three."

"They're sweet." I watched the boy tentatively join the group of younger looking guys who I was sure I had met and couldn't remember any of their names. "There are so many of you." I sighed.

The little girl, Ari ran over and straight into Kim's arms. Kim gave her a big hug, laughing. Ari kissed Kim on the cheek and then was handed over to Claire who gave and received similar treatment. She then settled on Claire's lap and looked at me. "You're new," she stated.

"I am," I agreed.

She looked at me with a measuring gaze then called out, "Daddy! Come see – there's some one new!"

"So I've heard," Sam said as he came towards us. I got up quickly and then almost fell on Kim. I had forgotten about my knee and it reminded me with a vengeance. She was quicker than I was and helped me right myself, however, I was blushing when I had finally regained my balance. "Sam Uley," he offered his hand, which I took.

"Sophie Weaver." I responded in kind.

"I'm Emily Uley," Emily said and offered her hand, which turned into a hug.

"Pleased to meet you." I said honestly. "I think they have lots of food over there," I pointed. "I don't know if you're hungry or not."

"Alex almost always is." Emily said fondly as she watched her son get a plate of food. "I have already eaten though, and would like to meet you. It's not often we have famous dancers visit us. Sam – it looks like Quil wants to talk to you."

Sam went a short distance away to talk to Quil and Jared took a seat and pulled Kim down on his lap. Claire went with Ari to get her some of the treats and as Emily sat down gracefully I wondered how I was going to sit down and get back up again, my knee was beginning to throb.

"Here," a deep voice came from behind me. "Let me help," I turned to see Embry walking up quickly, with Jake watching us with an unreadable smile on his face.

"Thank you," I said, a little nervous. I didn't want to make him uncomfortable, and it was clear he was trying to make amends for before. Embry's hands were steady as he helped me sit, though they seemed to be unnaturally warm like everyone else's.

"You're welcome." He smiled uncertainly then took a seat next to me, looking as if he half expected me to tell him to leave.

"How are you, Embry?" Emily asked with a knowing smile.

"Better," he replied, though he didn't look at Emily. His eyes were on me. "Better than I have been ever."

She smiled brighter and I finally realized what I had been looking at. There were old scars running down her cheek. Suddenly the tales of wild animals – bears and wolves and who knew what else – made me nervous, and I shivered, the motion wrenched my knee.

"Are you alright?" Embry's arm was almost instantly around me. "Do you need something? Are you cold?"

"Not cold," I gritted out, waiting for the pain to pass, and then I slapped my forehead. "Stupid," I muttered to myself. "Stupid, stupid, stupid." In all the excitement of meeting the welcoming committee I had forgotten to take my pain medication. "Caleb!" I called out, looking around for him, not registering how Embry's body stiffened next to me. He was sitting with Leah, Jake, Quil and Sam in what seemed to be a deep conversation, but looked up at my voice. "Pain medication, smallest backpack pocket should be in there with slippers and ribbon." I looked back at Embry. "That should make it better."

"Your knee?" Emily asked sympathetically.

I nodded. "I'm too young to complain of tendonitis." I joked sadly. "It doesn't even come with any handy weather predictions."

Caleb came out with medicine and water, which I took with profuse relief. "I should've gotten it for you sooner, baby," he apologized kissing my forehead as I choked down a couple of pills. This time I felt Embry's arm tense around my shoulder.

Jared reached over and shook Embry. "They're friends, relax." He commanded in a low tone. Embry took his arm away and Caleb looked embarrassed.

"Sorry," he strangely apologized to Embry. "She and I are practically siblings, you have to understand that." Embry slowly nodded, and Caleb focused back on me. "Do you need something else? Ice pack?"

I nodded, "That would be nice." Caleb left to go get one and I turned to look at Embry again. "I didn't get a chance to properly thank you before, but that dance studio is a work of art. I will never be able to thank you enough."

"It was nothing," Embry replied running his hand through his hair, though he looked extremely pleased. "Caleb's made Leah a lot happier in the past two months than she's been in years."

"I've never heard or seen Caleb so happy as when he's told me about her, I think it's mutual. She's wonderful." I smiled as Caleb came out with ice pack and took a detour to hug Leah. "Do I have to make you all dinner to thank you for making Caleb feel welcome?"

"That's not necessary," Embry began but Jared cut him off.

"Let her make dinner for us! I think that's a perfect way to thank all of us for all of the incredibly hard work." Jared laughed and barely flinched when Kim elbowed him in the ribs.

"Be warned," Emily said seriously, though her eyes danced. "If you cook for them once they are sure to come back again, and again, and again."

"I think I could handle that. I love to cook, but Caleb and I have to be so careful that with what we eat that it's almost not worth it. And I do owe you all for the most beautiful warm up studio ever. The barres and the floor beams are too perfect to be real."

"You don't really owe us any thing." Embry said. "Really the whole pack was excited to help, and I love doing woodwork."

"He's being modest," Jared interrupted. "Embry's been doing fancy wood carvings that are sold at huge prices in Seattle, and he's been putting him self through college with the money he makes from those and other furniture pieces."

"Really?" I asked Embry. "That might be one of the most impressive things I've heard in the longest time. What's your major? What university?"

"I'm doing a Civil Engineering major with a minor in Accounting, at the University of Seattle."

"That must be a horrid commute," I said sympathetically, as I thought of the four-hour trek I took today.

"It can be, by car at least," he half smiled. "During the semester I take as many online classes I can and try to stack my other classes on one day or two so I don't have to go out there as often. I've also been going part time for the past seven years or so." He blushed at this, and looked embarrassed. As if it mattered how long it was taking him to graduate.

I told him so, and was describing the dance scholarships Caleb and I competed for when Caleb returned with my ice pack. He sat with a plate of food, which he offered to Embry, and together we told the story of how we begged and bartered our way through college.

It grew late and people started to drift out, calling pleasant good byes. Ari had come and curled up on her mom's lap. She was nodding off when Emily decided it was time for her clan to go, after making me promise to visit her soon. Jake headed out soon after, he offered to help clean up but I waved him off saying that he had done enough for the day. Leah helped Caleb start to clean up, and Embry stayed by my side looking at me intently as if he needed my permission to say or go.

After watching Leah carry in an enormous pile of dishes, I turned to him and said "I know you've done a lot for me already today, but I could use two more favors."

"Anything," he replied, almost too quickly.

I laughed, which made him smile broadly. "If I had know you would agree so easily I would have asked for more! But I need you to first help me up and then help me to the kitchen where I'm sure the massive pile of dishes is making Caleb regret inviting me here."

"That's easy enough," he said and he stood up. I reached out my arms to be helped up, and for a second he looked at me. Then a mischievous glint came into his eyes and instead of helping me up, he picked me up off the ground and began to walk inside.

"Excuse me." I tried to sound offended. "This is not what I asked for."

"You asked me to help you up and to help you inside." Embry replied unremorsefully. "Are you up?" He asked.

"I'm not standing up."

"You didn't specify. Are you being helped into the kitchen?" I didn't respond that that one. After a moment to open the door he added, "I didn't want to see you hurt. I couldn't bear watching you limp."

I laughed at that. I decided that must be the price for being bigger than everyone else; you felt more protective towards people smaller than yourself.

When we reached the sink, Embry put me down and waited until I stabilized myself before slowly drawing his arms away. Leah and Caleb were still clearing plates from out side and so I dug around the huge pile of dishes to find the sponge. No dishwasher in this kitchen. To my surprise Embry found a cloth and stood next to me expectantly. "You wash, I dry?" He asked hesitantly.

"Think you can keep up?" I challenged rolling up my sleeves.

"I bet I can." He said confidently, dramatically flicking out the towel.

"You're on." I turned the water up as hot as I could bear it and started scrubbing.

By the time Caleb and Leah had found all the plates, put away the extra food, collected the trash and moved it out into the bigger trash can, Embry and I had sprayed each other with water, called each other out on cheating while trying to get the dishes done quickly and successfully broken the ice between us. We quickly finished the rest of the dishes and then Embry very gallantly cleaned up the water that was swimming on the floor of the kitchen.

I was yawning and swaying a little. It had been a wonderful day, but it was a long time since I had seen my bed in Boston that morning. I looked at a clock and realized it was three or four in the morning my time, I couldn't remember the time difference. Embry noticed and immediately suggested I head off to bed, and I agreed wholeheartedly.

Caleb reminded me that I had my first appointment with Dr. Cullen the next day and suggested we visit Forks for lunch and to poke around afterwards. I murmured an agreement, and the next thing I knew I was in the air again. Embry carried me to my room, and placed me into the nicely made up bed. I wanted to protest that I needed to shower and brush my teeth, but as my eyes closed I decided that my hygiene could deal for one night, and with that thought I was asleep.

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A/N: Thanks for reading! Please let me know any thoughts, comments or questions!


	3. Temps lie

A/N: Twilight is not mine. I'm borrowing the characters so I can run them through the mill.

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Temps lie - to transfer weight from one leg to another

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Some where between the eight am classes in college and then professional dance rehearsals after I graduated, I lost my ability to sleep in past nine in the morning on my days off. If I was sick I could push my body to sleep until ten, but otherwise my internal alarm woke me earlier than I wanted.

When I woke the first morning in La Push, I was confused by how dark it was in my room. However a quick look at the clock showed it to be three thirty five in the morning and I groaned as I realized my body had risen with the Boston sun. I rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. I woke again at five, and then again at ten to six. I sighed, and decided I would have to adapt to the time difference another day.

I threw the covers to one side and sat up. I gingerly put my legs over the side of the bed and tested my weight on my knee while sitting. It hurt, but not as badly as it had yesterday. _Thank you drugs and ice_ I thought as I got up and found the bathroom.

While I was putting on my finishing touches for the day I heard the front door open and close, followed by the sounds of breakfast in the kitchen. Caleb's only specialty was an omelet, and by the smells that wafted my way, I guessed that's what he was making.

"You're up early," I commented when I reached the kitchen, and saw Caleb cooking.

"Not really," he replied as he skillfully flipped the egg in the pan. "I wanted to stretch before we left, and we'll have to be out by eight-thirty to be at Dr. Cullen's house by nine-thirty."

"We're going to his house?" I asked surprised.

"Mhm," Caleb added the veggies and ham to the egg. "He set up a private practice a few years ago, and now he only takes specialty patients. His wife is a house designer and did a lot of renovations to turn the basement of their house into a physical therapy center."

"That's really cool." I said, honestly impressed. "Kids?" I took out the plates as Caleb divided the omelet in the pan.

"I think he said he adopted six," Caleb commented slowly. "You probably won't really see them, I think I've only seen one in passing. They are in college or grad school or something. A couple of English majors and Fashion Designers and one is in sports management or something like that. I don't really remember."

"Fair enough." I replied. "So we go out for physical therapy, and you said lunch in Forks?"

"There's a fun diner that you should eat at. And then we can walk through the town a bit. It's small, if you want to do any sort of real shopping you need to go to Port Angeles or Seattle, though I guess Olympia is closer than that."

"That sounds fine for today," I sighed and rubbed my knee. "I don't know what Dr. Cullen is going to suggest for rehab yet, so I'd like to figure that out first."

"I was thinking Leah might join us for lunch?" Caleb asked hesitantly. "I'd really like the two of you to get to know each other. She was thinking Embry might be free for the day too and could come."

I considered it. "I think that would be fun," I said slowly. "I'd like to get to know her, and Embry seemed nice enough last night. What was it with Jake and Quil making him leave the studio?"

"He's shy." Caleb evenly replied, looking down.

"Caleb." I waited until his eyes were back at mine. "If Leah wants me to believe that Embry is shy then I don't know her well enough to call her out on lying to me. You on the other hand I expect more from."

Caleb sighed. "You did startle him, more that you can imagine. But the rest of it is not my secret to tell. If you don't want me to lie to you then you need to stop asking questions, because that is all I can say for now."

"But he's safe to be around, right?" I asked, getting to the root of my qualms about him joining us for lunch. "I mean he was fine in the evening, but in the studio Quil, Jake, and Leah acted like he was about to launch himself at us."

"I honestly cannot think of a person you would be safer with," Caleb replied, looking me straight in the eyes.

I nodded. "Then he should come. I really enjoyed hanging out with him last night." Caleb smirked at that and I lightly hit him. "No match making. Just because you're so happy with Leah that words fail you when you talk about her, does not mean that you are allowed to make matches for the rest of us." Caleb smiled a little brighter when I mentioned Leah. I grabbed my empty plate and went to wash up at the sink. "I hope she didn't leave so early this morning because of me." I said as a parting shot.

That got my desired reaction – Caleb choked on his bite of omelet and blushed. "How did you know?" He gasped after he had swallowed.

"I didn't until just now." I replied laughing. "But I heard the front door close as I was leaving the shower. She can stay if it's ok with your granny."

"My granny loves her," Caleb muttered. "She had an early morning shift to run," he explained. "She'll meet up with us in Forks later."

"Fair enough. I'm going to go watch TV or something to ignore the fact that you get to stretch and I don't. Come get me when you're ready to go."

"You could fill out the paper work Dr. Cullen sent for you." Caleb's voice called from the dining room. "It's on the table by the TV. If you do it now you'll save time at the appointment."

I did the paperwork, and then remembered I had not checked my email since yesterday morning. I got my laptop and instantly found the message from my dad out in Boston. I sent him a long reply about the epic voyage of traveling to La Push, which I hoped would make him laugh. As I scrolled through the rest of my email, deleting the junk, I noticed a letter from my sister. Frowning I opened and read it.

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The ride to Dr. Cullen's home was pleasant. Caleb pointed out some beautiful views that I missed on the ride in. All too soon we were in Forks, and to my surprise we drove through it.

"Doesn't Dr. Cullen live in Forks?" I asked surprised.

"Outside it actually. He and his wife love privacy."

We turned onto a dirt road and started winding up a small hill. "I'm glad I have you here with me," I commented.

"It's a bit confusing the first time," Caleb agreed. "The house is going to appear on your side at the next turn."

The house did appear, and I stunned speechless by its beauty and size. "You said his wife was a house designer?" I asked when I caught my breath.

"Yep." Caleb laughed at my reaction.

"Wow," was all I could say.

We parked the car in the turn around and Caleb lent me his arm to climb the stairs. He rang the doorbell, and after a few seconds the door opened.

I blinked at the beautiful man standing before me who introduced himself as Dr. Cullen. "I remember you." I replied and then blushed at my lack of manners. "Sophie Weaver." I held my hand out for him to shake, which he did.

"I'm glad you remember me, Ms. Weaver," his voice was musical. "My wife and I loved your dancing, and we were honored to see you in Carmen."

"That's right," I smiled. "You said I danced with an almost inhuman grace, which might be the best compliment I have ever received."

"Shall we?" Dr. Cullen invited us in to a beautiful and elegant receiving room, and led us through to the back of the house.

"Caleb said your wife was a house designer?" I asked.

"Yes, she did most of the work you see here." Dr. Cullen held open a door that led into a gymnasium styled room.

"She is very talented." I replied with a smile.

"She is all that and more." Dr. Cullen laughed. "She wanted to meet you again so I said she might come by at the end of our session, if that is ok with you."

"I would be honored," I said honestly. "Now where do you want me?"

"Over on the exam table while I get Caleb set up."

I went and sat, observing how he put Caleb by a set of weights and gave him a sheet to work on.

"Now," Dr. Cullen said as he came over to me and accepted my paperwork. "What are your symptoms?"

I explained the ache in my knee on normal days, and the stabs of pain in my knee when I danced. I told about the x-rays done to determine that nothing was wrong with the bones, and the ultrasound done that revealed that something was wrong with the tendon. Unsurprisingly, and with my permission, Dr. Cullen placed weight just below my kneecap, which caused me to cry out in pain.

"Describe your normal exercise day to me." He said, taking notes.

As I did, I laughed to myself at how mundane my life sounded. People loved how glamorous the life of a ballerina sounded, but I always enjoyed impressing them with the reality of the four or five hours of dance a day I worked on my days off and the ten plus hours of dance during the heavy rehearsals.

"Have you tried any at home cures? Rest, ice, anti-inflammatory medicine?" He asked.

"Yes to all of the above, and they work but I need to solve the long term problem, not just deal with it short term. I have been resting and icing for almost a whole week now, limited walking and taking pain medicine when I need to travel long distances."

"Do they help with the short term?"

"Yes, but my knee almost always aches dully, even with all of the above. I can rest completely for another two weeks, but after that I really need to start training, at least doing strengthening exercises, or else I need to have a serious conversation with my ballet company."

Dr. Cullen nodded. "I think we can do a bit better than that," he commented absently, and finished writing his notes. "Ok. Here is what I think we should do. You are going to keep on the RICE plan – rest, ice, compression, elevation – for another week. But we are going to add a couple of things to that. I'm going to give you a patellar strap for those times when you need to walk for long distances, but I would try to use it as little as possible. It will take stress off your knee tendon, but redirect it to the sides of your knee, which can cause future problems. I honestly wouldn't mind you using a wheel chair or crutches for the next week, just to take all the weight off of the knee."

I winced. "Crutches if anything. I don't want to be beholden to anyone more than I have to be."

"Fair enough," Dr. Cullen replied chuckling. "I'll see if I have any your size when I get the patellar strap. Now, in exchange for not walking we're going to start exercises that strengthen the muscles around your knee that will help take the stress off when you use it again, as well as keeping your body in shape. Then in a week we'll start doing simple exercises with your knee specifically. If at the end of that week you are still in serious pain you and I will talk about your other options."

"Surgery." I sighed. Surgery would mean a year of pain and rehab and a possibly ruined career.

"I'll do everything I can to keep you away from that," Dr. Cullen promised.

"Thank you," I said fervently.

"You also might try swimming a bit this week. No more than a half hour at a time and if your knee hurts then stop. Avoid using strokes that really use your knee – I'd focus on the front crawl and not do any others."

"Front crawl." I recited. "I'll remember."

Dr. Cullen smiled. "I'll write all of this down for you. Let me show you your exercises first."

He led me over to the equipment and had me do basic lifting exercises with my quads and stretching with my calves. Periodically he went over to look at Caleb's progress. "Make sure you stretch every day," Dr. Cullen told me. "I feel like I will have to remind you to do this less than some of my other patients, but nothing will hurt you more than not being properly stretched first."

I nodded; I had seen the injuries from lack of proper stretches. "Could I do some of my ballet warm ups then?"

"As long as you do not work your knees," Dr. Cullen said. "I'm sure you're professional enough to know what that will mean."

"I am not going to screw around with my knee," I promised. "I can't afford to lose it."

"Good. Now I will go find your crutches and knee strap. Why don't you go sit back on the examination bed." He gave me a sheet that had all of the exercises that I had just done as well as how they could be converted to a house that had no work out machines in it. I read it through and then watched Caleb finish up his muscle exercises.

When Dr. Cullen came back he carried a pair of crutches, a strap, and a stunning woman held the door for him to enter through. "This is my wife, Mrs. Esme Cullen." He explained as he set the strap down and began adjust the crutches for my size.

"I'm very pleased to meet you," I said, gingerly sliding off the table.

"I have been looking forward seeing you again, ever since my husband said he was going to help your knee." She gently shook my hand and then gave a light hug. "I'm sure Carlisle has said so before, but you dance amazingly well."

"Thank you," I blushed. "I love what I do and that makes it easier."

"I hope you won't think me an over bearing wife, but truly you could not have found a better doctor. I'm sure we'll have you dancing again soon!"

"That would be amazing." I said wistfully, and then took the offered crutches. After a step or two, Dr. Cullen was satisfied with my competence.

"I can tell you've used these before," he commented and showed me how to use the strap around the base of my knee.

"At least once a year I've been on crutches for a twisted ankle. They usually heal better if you don't step on them at all. I've learned how to use crutches well and fast."

"All the better. You should be all set until your next visit. I'm assuming you would like to do three times a week, is that correct?"

"That would be preferable. When I start to do real dance again it might be more, and we might ask you to come to a rehearsal to observe anything I need to change with how I move."

"Understandable. Would Monday be acceptable for your next appointment?" Dr. Cullen asked Caleb and I.

We exchanged a glance. "I have no plans," I said. "Nor I," he added.

"Then Monday it is, same time?"

"Sounds good." Caleb answered.

"We're morning people at heart," I laughed.

"So are we," said Mrs. Cullen.

"Do you have any questions about your exercises?" Dr. Cullen asked me, and when I replied the negative he escorted Caleb and I back through his beautiful house. I complimented Mrs. Cullen on her beautiful work, and she ducked her head bashfully and thanked me generously. "We will see you in two days, on Monday at nine-thirty am. It was a pleasure to meet you," Dr. Cullen shook my hand. "Keep working on the exercises," he told Caleb, "you're looking much better though."

"Thank you, sir," Caleb shook his hand, and then helped me to his car. When we buckled, he turned on the car and took a deep breath. "So those are the Cullens. What do you think?"

"I think I like them. They are unfairly beautiful and gracefully, and their house is too perfect to be real, but I like them both."

"Can you text Leah to tell her we're done and ask when a good time for lunch would be?"

I typed and then sent it after I read back what I wrote. Leah's message came back almost instantly. "They are in Forks already and could eat now if you and I are ready," I read and glanced at the clock. It was almost eleven. "By the time we're seated and eating it will be after eleven so I could eat now," I decided. "You?"

"Now will be fine. We can explore the town afterwards and then go explore La Push if you like."

"That sounds perfect. Should they meet us at the diner?" I asked as I began typing back.

"The diner or Subway, your pick." Caleb said.

"The diner," I decided after a moment's thought and sent the message to Leah. "It'll be bad for us, but probably have more character than Subway."

We pulled up to Sully's Drive In, and found Embry and Leah sitting in a booth. Caleb instantly slid in next to Leah, and kissed her cheek before reaching for a menu. I, less gracefully, hobbled in next to Embry. He grabbed my arm to help me balance as I awkwardly sat and smiled at me.

"I have to thank you again." I smiled back. "Are you available to catch me for the next few weeks?"

"I'll see if I can clear some time," he replied seriously, though his eyes sparkled.

"Please do," I responded just as gravely, and took a menu. "What do you locals order here?"

"Everything," Leah, Embry and Caleb said in unison, surprising me. I looked from face to face, trying to determine if they were joking.

I turned to Embry and tried to specify my question, "If you had to choose one thing to order from this menu what would it be?"

"Bad choice," Caleb laughed.

"How so?" I asked, Embry perused the menu with more focus than my light question deserved.

"Because Embry is used to ordering for himself, not for some one as small as you." Leah replied.

"I am not that small." I protested. "I am five-six thank you kindly. I'm almost too tall to be a ballerina, actually."

"Yes, but you barely weight anything, Soph." Caleb pointed out. "And I should know. I have to lift you."

"Get the Tall Timber Burger." Embry said softly, ending their comments.

"Tall Timber Burger…" I repeated as I searched for it on the menu. I read the description: double patty, double cheese, toppings and special sauce. "Embry…" I trailed off, unsure how to tell him that it sounded like more than I could realistically eat.

"Trust me," he smiled again. "The special sauce is better than on the other burgers, and I will eat what ever you can't."

"You are turning out to be a handy guy to have around." I told him as I refolded my menu. "Alright, you've sold me on the burger. What's everyone else getting? And don't say 'everything.'" I begged as the three of them opened their mouths to respond.

"You catch on quick," Leah laughed. "I'll give you that. I think you'll do."

"You are too gracious." I responded, as the waitress came up and took our orders. Caleb got a single burger, and while Leah and Embry didn't quite get everything, they certainly got the largest burgers on menus and a couple of sides.

"How do you plan to eat all that after all the food we had last night?" I gasped as the waitress walked away.

"Fast metabolisms," Leah growled and hugged Caleb's arm possessively. The waitress had been just a little too friendly to him, who was woefully oblivious to life as usual. Leah had noticed, and now she reminded me of a dog with its hackles up.

"Some people have all the luck," I sighed, regretfully.

"What do you mean?" Embry asked cautiously.

"Well look at her," I gestured, and the two boys obliged. "She is beautiful, confident, articulate, dating a great guy _and_ she has a fast metabolism. That's pretty lucky in my books."

"I guess I am lucky," Leah replied slightly stunned, as if the thought had never occurred to her before.

"I know I am," Caleb reassured her, and she smiled, squeezing his hand a little bit.

I laughed a little and turned back to Embry who was staring at me intently. "What?" I asked.

He shook his head. "I was just thinking," he replied softly. "Well, wondering, how much of what you just described could be applied to you."

"Hmm…" I pretended to consider. "I do not have a fast metabolism." I joked, and he smiled. "Unless I'm dancing all hours of the day, then I feel like I burn through food too quickly. I am considered beautiful for ballet, and poised on stage, but people have mixed feelings about me off stage. I could be described as articulate, but I communicate best through dance some times, at least dance helps me to think about what I want to say. I am not dating any guy, _and_ I've still got to watch what I eat, so I think Leah wins the lucky award of the two of us."

The waitress came with our food, and I almost lost my appetite looking at the massive burger that was on my plate, sided by a pile of fries. Embry noticed my frown and asked if I was unhappy with my food, which caused the waitress to pause before leaving.

"No," I reassured him. "There is just so much of it – could I have an extra plate?" I asked the waitress before she left, and she promised to bring it right over. "I'll feel better if I don't have to look at so much food while I eat." I explained and started to pick at my fries.

When I got my plate I cut out a rough third of the burger and pulled a handful of fries onto my plate. "Much better." I said, and turned to Embry, "But you can't eat the rest of my burger until I've decided that's all I want." I narrowed my eyes and tried to look menacing.

Embry solemnly crossed his heart and went back to eating his burger, while watching me eat mine. It was delicious as he promised, though I couldn't manage more than what was on the spare plate, to Embry's delight.

Caleb flagged the waitress, who gave us four separate checks as we requested. I put my hand on Embry's, stopping him as he tried to take his.

"Could I pay yours?" I asked him. "I'd still like to make you dinner some time, but could I also pay now to say thank you for the studio?"

Embry hesitated. "If you like," he said slowly. "Just as long as I can pay next time."

"Deal," I promised, and handed the waitress money for the two of us, noticing Caleb paid for Leah too.

"Shall we walk?" Caleb asked as he slid out of the booth. "Or hobble in your case," he teased as I put myself back on crutches.

"It's better than the wheelchair." I grumbled, as I limped to the door.

"Dr. Cullen wanted to put you in a wheelchair?" Embry gave me a look of concern as he held the door for me.

"Thank you," I walked out. "He did, but I much prefer crutches. I can be a bit more self-sustained than in a wheelchair. And he gave me the choice between, so I think crutches will suffice for now."

We walked down Forks Ave, stopping now and then for various stores. To my delight my companions humored me enough to stop in the Forks Library, which made my English Major self light up with joy. I decided Embry would have to be my new best friend as he knew good food, made me a ballet studio, and had a Forks Library card, which he promised I could use. The next stop was to the Olympic Sporting Goods, which I enjoyed as I found outdoor chairs to sit in as Leah, Embry and, to my surprise, Caleb browsed. The people working the store seemed to know Leah and Embry fairly well, and one started talking about new supplies that had just come in.

As their conversation was ending, a new group of clientele came in, which called for the clerk's assistance. "Ready to go?" Embry asked, as he walked to where I was sitting.

"Only if you guys are." I smiled. "I never thought I would see the day when Caleb would willingly look at sport equipment – unless you count ballet as a sport."

"It should be a sport." Caleb grumbled as he and Leah also drew near. "I don't see baseball players having to lift a hundred pounds over their head, and people call that a sport."

I gathered my crutches and pushed out from the chair. "You should lodge a complaint. I'm sure it would go over well," I smiled my sweetest and Caleb tried to glare in response.

"Watch it gimpy." He threatened. "I know where you sleep at night."

Embry watched me carefully limp to the door, which he opened for me. "Would you like to go home?" He asked. "There really isn't that much more to see – a flower shop up that way, a couple of cafes, an RV Park, a multipurpose store…" Embry trailed off. "But all that is a bit of a walk, and it's actually a nice day to go to the beach."

I looked at Caleb who told me it was my choice. "The beach sounds nice." I said slowly. "Dr. Cullen did tell me to try to swim for a half hour a day."

"Then let's head back," Embry decided, and we started walking back the way we came.

"Where did you park your car?" I asked Embry, who froze for a second.

"We were dropped off," Leah answered smoothly. "We were hoping to ride back with you." She then asked Caleb what he thought about rock climbing later on that week. I half listened to them as I walked along side Embry, enjoying the view of the small town.

My arms were burning by the time we got back to the car – proof that I was using the crutches correctly and that my muscles hated me for it. "Maybe the wheelchair would've been a good idea," I muttered as I buckled. Embry, who was holding the door for me, heard and asked if we should stop back at the Cullen's before we left Forks.

"I'm just being lazy," I reassured him and Caleb, who hesitated before starting the car to hear my answer. "I don't need a wheelchair."

"Let's go to the beach then!" Caleb exclaimed, and then nudged me chanting "Beach, beach, beach."

"I swear Caleb, as much as I love you, as good of a dancer as you are, I am about to bludgeon you with my crutches." I threatened, laughing.

"You weren't showing the proper excitement for the beach. I had no choice," Caleb protested as he backed the car out of its spot. "Am I right?" He asked the back passengers.

Leah was silently laughing, and Embry shook his head. "Was he always like this?" Embry asked.

"He was sillier in college. The real world beat some of it out of him. Not too much, but just enough to make him almost tolerable." I replied solemnly, earning me another nudge from Caleb as we traveled along the road to La Push.

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A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you've enjoyed it so far. We'll be back at the end of May with the next chapter.


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